ATTR SSG Senior Decision Reviews
A Priority Technology Security and Foreign Disclosure (TSFD)
Review (PTR) is an offer for cooperation, sale or other transfer
that is deemed by a DoD component or Arms Transfer Technology
Release Senior Steering Group (ATTR SSG) member to have real, or
high potential, for senior leader (e.g., Secretary, Deputy
Secretary, Under Secretary or 4-Star) direction, interest,
and/or involvement as a result of an emergent opportunity to
build the capacity of an ally and/or partner nation. In
many cases, the authority to review and approve PTR decisions
has been delegated to or through Principal Staff Assistants
(PSAs), which include the Undersecretaries of Defense, the
Assistant Secretaries of Defense, and the OSD Directors or
equivalents who report directly to the Secretary or Deputy
Secretary of Defense. PTRs may be sought by any DoD
Component including, but not limited to, the Office of the
Secretary of Defense (OSD) staff, Military Departments, Defense
Agencies, Joint Staff, and Combatant Commands (via the Joint
Staff). The ATTR SSG’s Executive Secretariat, the
Technology Security and Foreign Disclosure Office (TSFDO) is
responsible for both ensuring PTRs are ushered through the
various review processes, according to relevant DoD TSFD
authorities, and keeping the ATTR SSG members apprised of
adjudication and ultimate disposition of PTRs.
The two primary technology-specific
processes through which PTRs are reviewed,
and for which DTSA has a responsibility, are
the Low-Observable/Counter-Low-Observable
(LO/CLO) and Night Vision Device release
authorities. As dictated by
DoD Instruction S-5230.28, the
DoD Acquisition, Technology and Logistics
(AT&L)-led LO/CLO review process serves
to adjudicate requests and/or proposals to
export/transfer stealth (LO) and
counter-stealth (CLO) technologies,
capabilities, and information to foreign
governments and international organizations.
For the approximately 700 cases submitted
for review each year, there are three levels
of review. The first level review is
conducted at the O-6/GS-15 level and it is
at this level that the majority of reviews
(~600) are resolved. The second level
of review is conducted by what is known as
the Tri-Service Committee (TSC) which is
comprised of representatives of the Air
Force, Army and Navy at the two-star General
Officer (GO)/Senior Executive Service (SES)
level. Approximately 90 reviews are
conducted by the TSC each year.
Approximately 30 reviews are conducted
annually by the ultimate level of review -
the Executive Committee (ExCom) - because
the reviews represent a release of a LO/CLO
technology that is precedent setting in
nature.
The decision documents that come out of
any of the aforementioned LO/CLO reviews all
include provisos that Anti-Tamper (AT) plans
be developed and implemented prior to any
transfer of LO/CLO technologies. This
crucial attribute is intended to prevent
and/or delay exploitation of critical
technologies in U.S. weapons systems.